Run, You Clever Boy
by FallingStar95
Summary: She was the Impossible Girl. She was the only one who could save the Doctor, that incredible man who showed her the stars. But at what cost? Clara's thoughts at the ending of "The Name of the Doctor." MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!


**Hello, my fellow Whovians! I feel like I haven't had time to write anything Who-related in forever and a day, so here goes nothing! I thought that the Series 7 finale was incredible, so of course, I had to get some of my unbridled enthusiasm down on paper, and here it is! Enjoy my Clara-centric ramblings!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Doctor Who, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction, would I? Everything belongs to the good ol' BBC!**

* * *

Clara Oswald had never been so scared in her entire life.

As the Doctor convulsed helplessly upon the floor of his own tomb, the tomb that had once been his beloved ship, she could feel the hot tears welling behind her eyes, threatening to escape and betray her fears to him. She could easily tell that he was just as terrified as she was, probably even more so. It was his life being rewritten after all. The Great Intelligence had infiltrated his timeline, destroying his very existence, along with the countless lives that the Doctor had influenced. The stars were going out, the civilizations he had saved ceasing to exist. The universe would soon be an entirely different place. A world without the Doctor was barely a world worth living in.

Unless…

She lifted her head and stared at the shining vortex before her, which was slowly becoming a deep shade of blood red as the Great Intelligence contaminated it. What would happen if she went after him? The Doctor had let the word slip that he had seen her die before. What if she was able to cancel out the Great Intelligence's influence by throwing herself into the Doctor's timeline as well? She would be scattered throughout time and space. She would be able to change the Doctor's fate, and perhaps even save his life. It seemed like a worthy sacrifice.

"Whatever you're thinking of doing… Don't," River warned her, still standing off to the side.

Clara chose to ignore her. "If I step in there, what happens?" She asked the older woman.

"The time wounds will tear you into a million pieces," River explained. "A million versions of you, living and dying all over time and space… like echoes."

"But the echoes could save the Doctor, right?" Clara insisted, staring in earnest at the portal leading to the Doctor's past.

"But they won't be _you_. The real you will die," River told her. "They'll just be copies."

"But they'll be real enough to save him," Clara argued, a small smile gracing her lips. There was still hope. She could still rescue him from his terrible fate. She could change the world for the better. In response to River's condescending glance, Clara merely shrugged her shoulders. "It's like my mum said," She recalled. "The soufflé isn't the soufflé. The soufflé is the recipe."

She shifted her gaze back down to the Doctor's weak body, his face growing paler by the second as his timeline was swept away. She reached down and gently stroked her thumb down the side of his cheek, attempting to comfort him in his time of agony. "It's the only way to save him, isn't it?" She concluded. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw River nod her head minutely in resignation, slow and solemn.

"The stars are going out!" Madame Vastra exclaimed, reminding everyone of her presence. "And Jenny and Strax are dead… There must be something we can do!"

At her words, Clara made her decision. She stood up with a fierce deliberation, her footsteps ringing with finality. "Well, how about that!" She exclaimed with a small smirk. "I'm soufflé girl, after all."

"No…" She heard the dying Doctor mumble. "Breathe," He whispered. She wasn't able to tell whether he was suggesting that she take a moment to reconsider her actions or if he was willing himself to continue breathing, to stay alive for a few moments longer.

"If this works, get out of here as fast as you can!" Clara instructed her friends, hoping to minimize the casualties of their trip to Trenzalore. "And… spare me a thought, now and then," She added, trying her hardest to sound cheerful when, in fact, she wanted to cry.

Her heart only continued to break as she heard the Doctor's voice once again from behind her. "No..." He begged. "Clara!"

She blocked his pleading from her mind, not allowing herself to spare a second thought. But as she contemplated the repercussions of her actions, she finally realized where her purpose in this world truly rested. She was always meant to be here. She was born to save the Doctor. And now, she realized the importance of the words she now spoke to her closest friend, her last farewell to the man who showed her the stars. "In fact… you know what?"

"Run," She ordered, turning around to face him for the final time. "Run, you clever boy, and remember me."

Before the hole in her heart became too painful to withstand, she quickly pivoted in order to face the time wound once again. It was almost as if it was speaking to her, calling her to meet her destiny. She felt the hot tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran into the light, and she heard the Doctor's rasping voice screaming for her to stop. She kept running, forbidding herself to look back, until finally…

She saw everything.

* * *

******So, who else is as hyped-up for the 50th Anniversary Special as I am? John Hurt, man... FREAKING JOHN HURT! Words cannot even describe how excited I am for November 23rd!**

**Guess what? Reviews are nice. Actually, reviews are fantastic! So, go ahead, do me a favor, and let me know what you thought! Also, virtual jammy dodgers to anyone who leaves a review! Motivated yet? I thought so.**


End file.
